Southern Comfort~Where The Livin' Is Easy

We just got home from our trip last night.  We were gone from May 1 to June 3.  That was a long time.  I have lots to share but I just hope I can remember all of it and preserve our memories of so many varied and fun activities.  Fortunately the pictures bring back so much and we managed to jot down things here and there.  But I much prefer doing the writing as we go along, but I just never had the time.  Someone, who shall remain nameless, kept me pretty busy doing other fun things!!!

Flying into Charleston at night was a great idea.  We arrived at nearly midnight and got our rental car with no problems. Midnight for them was only 9:00 PM for us so we still had some energy after the long flight. We were delighted they wanted to upgrade us to a van.  It was most convenient to have it for the month.  It was a 2013 Dodge Caravan so everything was in great running order, making it a carefree pleasure to drive.

We were ravenous after an 8 hour flight with only peanuts and pretzels to munch on, so we looked around for a place to eat before checking into our hotel.  We landed up at a Denny's and it was not bad at all.  We met our first friendly and helpful person there.  The waitress had lots of ideas of what was fun to do in area.  We hadn't been to a Denny's in probably 30 years.  They had this fun picture on the wall.

Welcome to Charleston!

This man of mine never, never runs out of  steam.  I swear unless you see it for yourself you would not believe it.  Go, Go, Go is his mantra.  When he gets a little tired he plops down on a bench someplace and refuels.  He has me sitting right there by him lest anyone think he's homeless or whatever.  After about 15 minutes he is as good as new.  What the heck?

It's a Miracle!  Me? 

 I need a two hour nap and not on a park bench!

The weather throughout the trip was precarious.  We have had lots of rain and some sunny days and an occasional hot day, but for the most part it felt like a mild California winter/spring.  Frankly, Jim and I were fine with that because we love traveling in the off season and much prefer rain to sweltering heat.  And the best part, there are no crowds and no snow. It was simply better for our dispositions.  So it was all good except, as you know, photography is all about light.  Not the best photo opportunities with the iPhone camera but, thankfully we got a new camera recently and it really helped.

The South...ah, it was all we imagined it to be.  Friendly, beautiful, coastal, lush, historic and great food.  The food however, was not good as everyday fair.  Delicious on occasion...you  know those plates that are huge portions...all golden brown, fried to a T, and pretty unhealthy.  We are just not use to eating like that and finally on the third day were seriously looking for a salad bar.  Incidentally, we had a hard time finding one.

Virginia's is the restaurant where we had this local specialty below.

 She Crab Soup

If you ever order this, think RICH and get a small cup..not a bowl!  Delicious in small doses. We also shared a honey mustard pulled pork sandwich.  Now that was yummy.  I would imagine you could make it with a crockpot, the pork and a bottle of honey mustard salad dressing.  A nice alternate to the BBQ sauce we usually do. 

One of the most noticeable things about both Charleston and Savannah was that they are truly laid back.  It was visible, tangible and relaxing.  They savor.  It just calms the spirit to not always be rushing.  I love that.

Here a few pictures from that great
 Doin' The Charleston tour of the city.

 St. Micheal's Catholic Church

 The oldest and tallest building in Charleston

You see lots of brick in Charleston, it  adds a

 touch of antiquity and charm. 

 Most of these buildings have been 

retrofitted for earthquakes in recent years.

An old Lutheran Church in Downtown Charleston!

We went inside it was so much like 

the Lutheran Church I grew up in.

Same cookie cutter.

Like the church of my youth...Deja vu!

This hymn board and hymnals 
are exactly like the ones we had!

The Parks are a GREEN like we have rarely seen. 

 All that humidity seems to be a blessing for

 the foliage, grasses, flowers and trees.

Everything is so lush!

The south just seems to love providing a 

carriage ride through their beautiful streets.

This home in the background is one of the oldest in town.

The Streets are just full of beautiful scrubs, 
flowers and trees.

There is eye candy everywhere you look.
The city is immaculate. 

"Spring Evenings" -Garden Gate, Two Meeting Street Inn, 
Charleston, SC © Doug Hickok

This is one of the pictures I had seen on Pinterest that sealed my desire to see Charleston.  I just found out yesterday where it was located so missed seeing it in person.  Drop dead gorgeous place!

As I was trying as best I could to at least get one week planned before we left I noticed that there is an ongoing battle between those that love Charleston more than Savanna while the other camp is touting Savannah as supreme.   Just for the record, we loved Charleston more, but still enjoyed Savannah very much.   But our vote is clearly Charleston, if forced to choose one or the other.  Fortunately we got to enjoy both of them.    However, we spent over three days in Charleston and only two night and one full day in Savannah. 

One thing that made that difference clear was the City Tour we took in each City.  I have already written more about the great one we took in Charleston here. http://bonsblogbydesign.blogspot.com/2013/05/doin-charleston.html

Savannah did not have a great tour guide to begin with but...you've heard the song..."Rainy Night in Georgia" haven't you? We had two of them.  Which meant the morning we toured was chilly, wet and rainy.  That in itself would have been OK but the bus was an open air bus...so how could that be good?  You are smarter than we were.  It wasn't.

In our own defense they didn't really mention the open air part to us when we signed up for the tour.  We were quite surprised when we got to the bus.  But at that little moment the weather had taken a rest so we hopped on feeling optimistic.  Well, let's just say the weather in the south is unpredictable.

The drawback with a closed in bus would have had been fogged up windows  that would have been  wet on the outside, preventing getting any good photos.  The drawback to the intermittent wetness was well....being wet!  But we did get some good photos.  So even though the tour was not great, it did give us a little history of the city and showed us the lay out for points of interest and that was perhaps most important.  We were fortunate that it did clear up later in the day and we got some pretty outstanding pictures then. 

Another funny thing that happened was we thought it was Saturday and it turned out to be Sunday.  Yikes!  We are old, aren't we?  We'll blame it on vacation brain though.  We were all ready to go to church the next morning and then head on to Virginia but...hmmm.  It was already Sunday and we were on our way to the City Tour @ 10:00 and had already missed church.  Bummer.  We love visiting other wards too but we just simply blew it.  I like casual, but that was a little too laid back even for me. Course correction..discuss what day it actually is every morning before getting dressed.

So tomorrow....some highlights from  the Magnolia Plantation, then on to Boone Hall and then finally The Lovely Savannah!

A Simple Woman's Daybook~May 22, 2013

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One entry at a time.

Just for today~Wednesday, May 22-24, 2013

 

Outside my window...I can see the bay near Laura and Robert's house.  They have a triple sliding glass door out to their deck and just beyond...the beautiful sea.  They have the most inspiring place to write and I have been dying to get on this computer.  We have been so busy but today is a stay at home day.  Yay!  It is early afternoon here and the sky is gray with some fog in the distance.  It has been very welcomed after yesterday which was sweltering.  The heat here is rough.  So much humidity and it makes me feel a little sick, not being use to it at all.  One thing about the island is it is always windy and that accounts for some of the very unpredictable weather.  I should have brought more warm clothes but I have been getting by with a hooded, cardie sweatshirt on colder days and my coat when it got really cold as we were traveling.

I am thankful for..this wonderful month of travel, sightseeing and work.  We have had a phenomenal time.  I think a few things have made it very different than other trips we have taken.  Length of time with many different venues and purposes made a difference.  We have traveled for more than a month on other occasions but they have been focused on a major holiday, or a European/family time or just sightseeing.  I think the thing that made this time unique was a lot of time with just each other and then also getting to see family.  Our time of exploring the east coast was just perfect.  We loved the things we saw and learned about all the places we went.  The things that made it most special were our times with our kids and then our days we spent learning about our ancestors and the time we were able to do research and walk where they walked and lived.  That was inspirational and spiritual as well.  It has been a nice blend of pleasure and purpose.  There has been the perfect amount of time for relaxation and reflection.  I don't think my b/p has been this low in years.
 

From the learning room.  As we have studied and learned about the stories of the individual pilgrims and their courageous and difficult lives, we have realized like never before how subjective history really is.  We will not ever know all of the truth about them until we meet them face to face.  The "facts" vary some between authoritative museums, etc. but the essence of who they were and why they came have enough of a common thread to paint a most interesting  picture.  It just reminds me of how important it is once again...to write our own histories.  I want someone's subjective opinions about my life to come from what I wrote not what someone else wrote about me. 

 
I am reading...William Bradford's Pilmoth Plantation~this is considered to be the first American History book ever written.  Jim and I are reading it aloud together and it is excellent so far.  Tomorrow we are taking a trip to Mystic, Connecticut together so will continue on with Governor Bradford's account of why the Loyalists from England and the English Separatists from Holland came here on the Mayflower  It is about their heroic voyage and about the settlement they created when they arrived.  It is a fascinating story.

 

From the kitchen..Jim has something brewing every minute.  Honestly, he is such a nurturer and a "feeder' as Jen calls him.  We are so lucky!  The kids love to see him coming.  I have thrown in my two cents worth by helping Laura redecorate her master bedroom and sitting room and bath while here.  We did the bulk of putting it together this morning and it looks so fresh and pretty.  Of course it was preceded with a lot of fun shopping to gather the goods and we still have more things that we need. She has selected some really cool colors by using an art piece we found featuring, lavender, darker purple, a grayish blue, some turquoise, tan and gray.  It is a stylish, youthful floral piece and not stuffy at all.  It is very pretty and soothing and a perfect compliment to a coastal environment without being beachy.

I am missing..time to blog along the way about this vacation but it just hasn't been happening.  I will do several posts about our adventures after we get home.  But it is never quite the same as in the here and now.  The biggest problem has been getting photos on the right equipment to have access to them from Laura's desktop computer.  I still do not find the tablet adequate for blogging so it looks like I am going to have to get a Mac laptop sooner than later. But we do have lots of fab photos of this trip so that will be my incentive once we get home.

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...the thing that has been going through my mind as we have traveled is just how beautiful the majority of America really is.  As we have passed through city after city, town after town I have felt a sense of peace that the Lord is still over all and that His presence rests upon the goodness in all of these places.  I am thinking once again how the media has truly skewed our thinking about how this country is going to the dogs and it has robbed us of our peace.   Yes, there are some really bad people and situations but there is so much goodness and righteousness too.

It has reminded me of when our Church leaders have expressed that we should be of good cheer, look for the good and stay close to the Lord.  The Lord will not forsake the righteous.  My faith in that has been reaffirmed on this trip.  Travel affords us a tremendous opportunity to step out of our tiny world and see beyond our borders of the little triangle we live in of home, school, work and the grocery store.  We truly feel blessed to have had this opportunity this month of broadening our conceptions and changing our paradigms.   The consequence is we feel more peace.

I am hearing..birds chirping randomly to one another outside and classical music from the kitchen.  And I am imagining that if we were just a little closer to the water I could hear the waves.  Soon the house will contain the boys...home from school and the endless happy chatter of kids and all that entails.  Cannot wait to see them and hear about their day.

One of my guilty pleasures...our children.  Honestly, it is hard to get enough of being with them.  I love that we have this opportunity to realize how precious this time is because we don't have it whenever we want.  Absence does, indeed, make the heart grow fonder.  That is the silver lining of living apart.  Every time is a special occasion.

Pet Peeves..rushing.  I hate rushing.  I enjoy savoring, reflecting and being in the moment more and more as I grow older and learn how to do it.  It makes me appreciate this time in our lives so much!

I am quoting...Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat Pray Love:  I love a quote that requires me to look up a word.  "Oh, I just want what we all want: a comfortable couch, a nice beverage, a weekend of no distractions and a book that will stop time, lift me out of my quotidian existence and alter my thinking forever."  Love that.  This quote just reminds me of the perfect definition of the romantic, modern woman.  Do we all not seek this from time to time...or pretty much all of the time?

If I could change one thing it would be...that my legs did not give me so much trouble.  I want to do so many things but sometimes the spirit is willing but the body is weak.  I wish I could disassociate myself from the pain that inevitably comes after too much walking and standing,  One thing that helps though is every morning when I wake up I am fine.  So at least the problem is not accumulative.  Sometimes it feels like if you could just get some WD-40 in the right places all would be well. Still I am not complaining, it could be tons worse.

An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...Safe Haven.  Laura and I got to go on a overnight get away at the beginning of the week,  Maybe that is why I liked this movie.  It was just to two of us in our hotel room enjoying the movie.  No distractions...just us!

I am curious about..how distorted time can be when you are traveling.  It seems like we have been gone from home for months.  Once we get home and back into our routine it flies by in a flash.  I think this is a good insight for us on how to slow our lives down.  Getting out of Dodge seems to do the trick.  ;-)

  

Plans for the rest of the week...tonight my friend, Caroline, is coming here while visiting her own daughter in Connecticut.  She sells doTerra essential oils and will be here for a lesson on their use for Laura and some friends.  How fun to be able to see her here!  Tomorrow a day trip to Mystic, CT with James.  It is like stepping into a postcard.  The most charming little place you'd ever want to visit, Thursday night attending Spencer's Sport Banquet at his school, Friday more work on the master bedroom, Saturday through Monday enjoying family activities and maybe some boat races in Newport.  Robert will be returning to the house after a ten day course in VA, so we will have some quality time as a family, celebrate his birthday and Memorial Day with a picnic here on the deck and Sunday we'll go to church.  Believe it or not...we are flying home on Wednesday but only for a day and then taking off for Utah for our granddaughter, Chloe's baptism.  We'll stay a few days and then home for awhile.  Whew!

One of my favorite things...that we have been able to go to three events at the boys' school and we still have one left.  Ross is in a play and we get to go and see the dress rehearsal on Tuesday before we leave on Wednesday.  Last night at the Sports Banquet Spencer received The Ultimate Spirit Award.  This is a new award and Spencer is the first recipient.  He helped his coach with la crosse, soccer and basketball and managed the teams all of this school year.  The coach was very positive in his words about Spence and we were glowing grandparents!  He was so cute racing to the front of the auditorium to receive his award at breakneck speed, grinning from ear to ear! Oh, and he is still in his full leg cast so that racing was on crutches.

One thing that made me so happy this week..being here for Grandparents' Day at the school! Getting Laura and Robert's master bedroom, bath and sitting room all redecorated.  We just hung the last piece of art a little while ago.  Grampa has been very helpful hanging curtain rods, mirror, paintings and other things and keeping everyone fed.  I love working with the two of them on any decorating project.  The rooms look so pretty and peaceful and fresh.  Robert will be so surprised when he stumbles in from Virginia tonight after finishing his ten day class for work.

The most surprising thing this week...we got two beautiful chairs for the decorating project at half price and they are perfect.

A photo I am sharing this week...our dream house in Connecticut.  This is the most beautiful privately owned home we have seen in 13 states.  We have seen hundreds of homes and this is the grand prize winner.  Laura and I loved every aspects of this home...we are guilty of coveting it, we admit it! 

As we drove by we saw a couple near the driveway so we passed by slowly and then returned after we thought they had gone so as not to get people in the photo.  We came back and didn't see them so turned around and took some photos.  As we drove on we saw them again on the other side of the property and we realized immediately it was their house.  They waved and yelled out "thank you" to us.  They knew we loved it and they were pleased.  Fun!

          Until we all return...happy day to you!

❤♡♥♡❤♡♥♡❤♡♥s, Bon

Alleviating Proverty Little by Little...

Remember when Jim went with the BYU Design Team last summer to Peru?  This is what they did.  Both our son, Chris, and Jim are seen in this video.  I am so proud of them.  Here is a little peek into what they were doing.  Here is the link for those of you that follow by subscription.
http://youtu.be/XSx5bQWN-8Q

Precepe Vivente ~ A Christmas Past

 I enjoy remembering Christmases Past.  One of the things that makes Christmas such a great time for most of us is the cultural traditions that unify us as believers in Christ.  Although some of the traditions vary from home to home, there is a common thread that runs through out.  I like that.  Our traditions are the times in our lives that are marked by special days.  Life would be pretty monotonous without these special times with family and friends.  We have spent two Christmases out of the country.  Once in Scotland and once in Italy.  Both of them were precious highlights, never to be forgotten in our lives.   Here is an edited and updated post from my Italian Blog that I am reposting here to give you the flavor of Christmas in Italy 2010.  It was a joyful, enriching and inspiring time.  This experience really stands out vividly.

The hills and valleys of Italy are filled with The Nativity. It is such a beautiful sight and it has made me realize that here in America, with all of our 'political correctness,' we are doing our citizens a terrible disservice. Not to be able to display the symbols of Christ at Christmas would never fly in Italy. For this alone, I love their country.

People need visual reminders and not a soul in Italy can miss the Christ in Christmas. No matter what their religious beliefs, the degree of activity in their church or the lives they are living~at Christmas time they are reminded over and over again what their compass should be. 

We need this here in America. I like the term 'political correctness' because that is exactly what it is. Political! It isn't ethical, or spiritual correctness and it has nothing to do with what is right or true or good for us, most of the time. In denying the public displaying of the Nativity, we as Americans are shooting ourselves in the foot.  Big time!

That being said and climbing down off my soapbox, I want to share the experience we had on the day after Christmas. In Italy they savor Christmas. They start early and end late with their celebrations. (Whoops, back on the box for a minute.) Often times I have noticed the day after Christmas, all evidence of the money we have $pent during the holidays is removed visually from the malls and market places. Poof, it is gone, and that way it is hoped we will continue to $pend, $pend, $pend some more.  And someone is working Christmas night to make it happened by opening time the next morning. It is all about the retail over here. Not so in Italy. The world should take a lesson.

So we planned to go to a tiny mountain town called Maranola, near Gaeta to see the Living Nativity the day after Christmas. While Christmas had already vanished in the US, this was their opening day. We arrived early so we could stroll around Gaeta a bit.

The harbor walkway of Gaeta

One of the ships Robert had been to sea on while living here.

When JIm and I stayed here for a few days, a window in our hotel room
opened to a full view straight on of the back of the ship.
(Bow, stern, port? I never do remember these!)

The kids arranged a tour for us through the military services to go to see the Presepe and we all bundled up, drove to Gaeta, jumped on a bus and off we went. We didn't have much of an idea of what to expect~except rain. Rain, rain, continual rain. We had pretty much acclimated to that, but had no idea what it would mean to have it raining on this particular night. Can I just say flat out, I didn't like it one bit? At least not when it was happening.

This is a (blue hour, it is actually dark out here) 
view from the head of the line, 
it goes down a few flight of stairs
 to the bottom of the hill.

When we arrived at the ancient little town we saw a big line of umbrellas trailing up to the entrance to the little village. They only allowed so many people up into the village at one time. Crowding under the mass of umbrellas, we waited and wondered what was ahead. Huddling under umbrellas that are overlapping and touching each other is a curious thing. I think you actually get wetter from the run off of the umbrellas around you. Arrrgh! Can we say... grumpy?


Then the music started playing and that soothed me somewhat, even though we were already getting drenched and pretty cold. A man was playing some bagpipes for all to enjoy. It was nice. We looked up and saw little children looking out of their upstairs windows at this phenomenal line of people snaking through their village.  Moving as a crowd we made our way through the tiny streets. In spite of the physical challenges of old, uneven, wet and slippery stairs and walkways, it was wonderful to see the little vignettes they had created to represent the life of the people of Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth.  It seemed we climbed halfway to heaven peering into these little transformed shops, tasting little goodies they had made and listening to them chatter with arms flying everywhere, and singing and playing music.  Everyone in the village participated and it was really an amazing sight. The ruggedness of the venue made it seem so authentic.  It felt like we were truly in Bethlehem!

I had to laugh at the clothes hanging out to dry!

We were drenched to the bone! Seriously my hair

looked like I had just stepped out of the shower.

(No photos, thank you very much!)

The thought of staying in those wet clothes 

for a bus ride and then a 90 minute trip

 to Teverola was not very appealing.

So we tried to push those thoughts

 away and enjoy the evening.  

"It is what it is,"

 went through my mind several times.

We came across a little chapel
near the top of the mountain.

Jim was in his glory with this adventure 
 and even more so when he met some
bonified, Italian boys scouts!

We climbed some more and came across
another ancient place of worship.
Check out the carving behind
Jim on the walls and the 3-D
fresco wall/sculpture below.

Wet kidlets!
The boys look so little here!

At last...drumroll...

What we came for, at the very top of the mountain.

They had even brought a huge ox up here. 

 I don't remember ever seeing a real ox before.

Do you?

Precepe Vivente~The Living Nativity

with the youngest baby of the village

as the baby Jesus

and his parents as Mary and Joseph.

Once down we had our dinner while
waiting for our tour bus to pick us up.
If you haven't tried a picnic on a mountain,
at night, soaked to the gills,
in December, in Italy...you should!
It is a relief to say, "Been there, done that,"
and then to move on!

Looking back from a nice, warm, dry perspective,

it was a great experience.  This love for Italy is forever!

They really know how to live life, 

enjoy everything and  honor their traditions.

We were so sad to even think about leaving.

La Dolce Vita...

Even when we were wet and cold and shivering.

This memory will bond us as a family for years to come.

We had four generation participating 

with Jim's mom there too.

Traditions, Bonding, Family

are all major components of  a 

Christ-Centered Christmas.

Hope you enjoyed this armchair visit to Italia!

Buon Natale!

Time Out For Women

I feel so blessed this morning as I contemplate the things I was able to experience this past Friday night and all day Saturday at Time Out For Women.  You know, I am just so convinced that as women we truly need this.  This conference just fills your soul with hope, joy, humor, inspiring music, spiritual awakenings and love.  It is physical, tangible and palpable on so many levels.

I  took note of how I actually felt lighter, happier, more peaceful and loved.  Loved by the people that matter most to me, the 2500 other women there, the speakers, my friends I came with and the ones I didn't and especially the Lord.  I felt the sisterhood we all share as women, mothers, grandmothers and single, married and widowed women.  It uplifted me in ways that made me want to be a better person, more dedicated to my values and beliefs, more willing to sacrifice and serve and lift up the hands that hang down.  It made me feel more like accepting that gift from others when I need it too. 

It made me realize we are all in this together.  By the very nature of our womanhood, we understand one another.  When we add to that the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we share and is so much a part of who we all choose to be, it is just heavenly.  And now that it is over, I just have to bask in the light of reflected glory by sharing a few of the wonderful parts of the conference with you.  The reminiscing will be sweet.

The theme this year was Seek The Good.  Can't you just imagine what it would be like to be in room with 2500 other women all seeking the good?  Well, that was precisely what it was.  Women from all over the area, each with our own joys and sorrows, from every walk of life just taking a moment to experience a revival of the things that keep us going, make us happy, help us cope and enrich our minds and expand our souls.  It was such a profitable, well spent and wonder-filled time.  There are some very funny, and inspiring women among us!  They are ladies that love life and God and are simply authentic.  They are willing to share their life's lessons for the edification of others.  And there are men who come to do the same.  Talk about serve as Jesus did.  You'll find them at Time Out For Women.  The conference is held in various venues all over the country.  You'll find the schedule and a whole lot more here.  http://tofw.com

Mike and his Laurie

My absolute favorite of the presentations was done by S. Michael Wilcox.  I have heard him speak many times and he is one of the most spiritual men I have ever heard share his poignant stories and testimony.  He is one of the deepest, most poetic and eloquent men I have ever been taught by in my life.

 Less than two years ago he retired from his teaching profession and was all ready to dedicate his remaining decades to being with his wife and enjoying all the fruits of their labors.  They had successfully raised 5 children, were enjoying their little grandchildren and were planning many things in their "Golden Years."  His Laurie, was diagnosed with stage 3 brain cancer just a few months after his retirement and he buried her about nine months later in the bitter cold of winter, just after the holidays. 

Here is an excerpt from his presentation:



The road he has traveled over the past couple of years has been so difficult and so enlightening for him and he has shared this very personal and poignant story of his love for Laurie and the struggles of her last months of life in his newly released book.   He did this because he knew how many people this book would help not for the royalites or for any other worldly reason.  This book started out as his personal journal, his quest to make sense out of what had happened.   And it was his way to sort out his thoughts and feelings and to come to an understanding of the unthinkably hard loss of his beloved wife.

Anyone who writes can identify with this sorting out process and anyone who loves deeply can relate.  Whether your spouse is still alive or has passed on, I feel this book is essential to our understanding of the magnificence of our marriage relationship in Christ.  Jim and I have been reading it each night and believe me the tears have been flowing onto our pillows. His words resonate with our own feelings and give voice to thoughts buried deeply within us.

If you have lost your spouse this will be a really important work to comfort you and help you get through the pain of separation.  If you still have your spouse it will help you to work together through the thoughts of being left alone for a time in your future.  It will also help each of us be our best selves and to live our best lives possible while sojourning on this earth with our eternal companion.  I can honestly say, this is a book that is changing our life and I just wanted to share that with you today.  I love this great man with all my ♥ for the willingness he has had to bear his soul for the edification of all who come in contact with him.  He is healing more than himself in his journey.  God bless you and keep you,  Brother S. Michael Wilcox, is all I can say.  He will uphold you for you are truly a man of God in every sense of the word.

Weathering The Storm

Our drive yesterday was very long but a good one. We took an alternate route which was longer, but prettier. Instead of highway 80 we took 50. Jim says that Highway 50 is known as the loneliest highway in the world. So you trade driving along side 500 big rigs and a slew of cars for a bit of a country two laner. I am not a fan of the two lane highways but the fact that hardly anyone was out there helped considerably. And we didn't see any trucks until we were about to connect to 80 in Wendover. This is the road we used to take to see my grandparents in North Dakota when we were kids and this road is not that different today.

Since we have retired we have become more of the back roads type of travelers. It is truly fun to get off the beaten path and go through the tiny towns that dot the landscape along the way. Your perspective changes a lot when you are not always racing the clock.

One reason Jim wanted to go on 50 is that his best friend, Dave, grew up in the little mining town of Mc Gill, Nevada. Jim has wanted to see it for many years. We also stopped in a diner for lunch in Eureka. It was an authentic little place that really took us back. The people were so nice. Everyone in the town that we saw had a kind word. Where have all the friendly people gone? Out of the cities it appears.

So our 14 1/2 hour drive was just relaxing and pretty much uneventful...exactly what we all pray for. No hassles, no car problems nice weather, pleasant scenery for Nevada, etc. We spent a good deal of time discussing which classes we will be taking at Education Week at BYU.

As we began to approach the kids' town it started to look very stormy. Hot and rainy is becoming more prevalent here in the summers. As we headed into the storm it became apparent that it was not rain but dust. We were caught in the eye of a big crazy windstorm that was like nothing we had ever seen. It was really scary and the visibility was poor, the dirt flying everywhere, and as the wind increased the debris flying around did too. We saw lots of over turned big orange barrels on the freeway, big orange buckets flying around like badminton birdies, from the construction that is always a part of the scenery in this area. Caution signs were ripped off their poles and became metal missiles flying through the air. And a person lost their entire bumper in the storm and was trying to reattach it on the side of the road. At one point we were driving along the abutment separating the lanes from the construction and all of a sudden a big piece of plywood flew over the abutment and nearly caused my decapitation through the windshield. Jim's quick maneuver saved us. Our prayers were answered for safety as no one was directly beside us at that moment. Everyone was having trouble controlling their cars so we were keeping some distance and driving much slower than usual.

So James was looking for a little adventure, he found it. As quickly as it arose it began to subside just as we were approaching our exit. We have never been so happy to get off the freeway.

Funny how you just never know what a day will bring when you get up in the morning. It is so reassuring to have prayer to give us courage to get out of bed and face what comes, with God on our side. Before you left your room this morning, did you think to pray? And did you remember to give thanks when your prayers were answered?

Ahh, much better! All is well!

I sure hope you have had a wonderful Sabbath Day. We did! Here is a quote from our lesson in Relief Society.

"Blessed is (s)he that can give without remembering
and receive without forgetting."